Action for pneumatic musical instruments



G. P. BRAND. ACTION FOR PNEUMATIC MUSIICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION HLED MAR-28. I917- Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

o o o 0 0 o o o o o w 6 gwmnfoz 33 fig Quasi M G. P. BRAND. ACTION ron PNEUMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED HAR- 28. 9'7- 1,373,593. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED STATES GEORGE P. BRAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACTION FOR PNEUMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed March 28, 1917. Serial No. 158,044.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, GEORGE P. BRAND, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of the Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Actions for Pneumatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The invention relates to actions for pneumatic instruments, and is more particularly directed to the action chest and valve mechanisms for actuating the player pneumatics of such an instrument.

The object of the invention is to provide a condensed form of action chest containing the primary pneumatics (which are made readily accessible and individually removable) and the valve actions.

A further object is to arrange all the various elements so that they may be readily assembled and applied with precision.

A still further object is to arrange the valve elements of the chest in cooperative relation with the primary pneumatics for actuating them, and with all of the primary pneumatics or pouches mounted upon a single support and removable en masse.

It has for a further object to provide simple and efficient means for muffling the sound or noise usually made by the valves and the air during the inflation and deflation of the pneumatics and movement of the valves while the device is in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention, in its preferred form, is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, withthe numerals of ref-,

erence marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a vieW in elevation of the action chest with thefront board broken away.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of the interior of the-front board showing the primary pneumatics or pouches.

Fig. 3 illustrates a pouch member with the diaphragm member ready for application.

Fig. 4 illustrates a complete primary pneumatic or pouch member.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the chest of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the chest illustrating the valve actions and appurtenant parts.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the different views.

The action chest, hereinafter described and claimed, consists essentially of a suction chest which incloses all of the valve actions and has exteriorly mounted thereon the striker or power pneumatics. The valves are removably mounted in one wall of the chest, and, the primary pneumatics or pouches for actuating said valves are mounted upon the opposite wall of the chest. The wall bearing the primary pneumatics or pouches is made removable.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1, denotes an action or suction chamber which is incased by a back wall 2, and a removable front wall 3. These walls constitute a casing for the vacuum chamber. Its ends are, of course. closed. The chest 1, receives its suction from well known means commonly employed, preferably through conduits 4, 5, the latter passing down through one of the end blocks of the casing. It is closed at the top by a head block 6, having conduits 7, which, through suitable connections, are connected with the ducts of the tracker board.

The back wall 2, is slightly shorter than the removable front wall 3, and the ducts 7, register with openings 8, formed in the front wall 3, and communicating with downwardly extending ducts. These ducts 9, are bored into the top. edge of the board 3, and communicate with the rear sides of the diaphragms of the primary pneumatics through intersectingborings 10. They are all closed at their upper ends by a plate 9. Through the inner face of the wall 3, are borings 11, covered by disks 12, having bleed holes 13. These ducts 11, and bleed holes 13, are arranged in the same horizontal line between two tiers of primary pneumatics or pouches, as best illustrated in F 2. The downwardly extending ducts 9, terminate either at theducts 11, or intersecting said ducts, terminate at the rear of the primary pneumatics after intersecting the ducts 10.

The primary pneumatics or pouches, as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4, substantially rectangular in form, consist of a channeled block 14, having central perforation 15, adapted to register with the ducts 10, of the 7 rows illustrated. These pouch membersare secured to the inner face of the removable wall 3,111 any desired manner. Of course, there is a primary pneumatic or pouch for each valve and its corresponding striker pneumatic, it being understood that each primary pneumatic is a self-contained, complete, unitary structure or unit, independent of and removable, as a whole, from the wall to which it is attached, with no part thereof in the said wall.

The rear wall 2, of the chest has on its interior side a series of borings 18, forming valve chambers. These are disposed in a series of rows and correspond in disposition and arrangement to the arrangementof the primary pneumatics or pouches upon the removable wall 3. Each valve chamber 18 ,has an exhaust port 19, and an opening 20, connecting'through ducts 21, 22, with a corresponding striker pneumatic 23. V

Extending along the inner face of the wall 2, are gasket strips 24, cut away and having openings corresponding with the openings'of the valve chambers 18.

Partially coveringthe valve chambers 18, and provided with suction ports 25, are plates 26. These plates are made removable, and each adjoining pair of plates are held in place by straps 27, which are clamped to the inner face of the wall 2, by screws 28. It follows that the plates 26, may be applied and removed at will and as individual units. The plates 26, form suction port seats for the valves 29, and the valves 29, serve to close either the suction ports 25, or the exhaust ports 19, depending upon the position of the primary pneumatics. Each valve 29, has a stem 30, provided with a buffer 31, which bears against the buffer disk 17, of the corresponding primary pneumatic or pouchQ I The valves 29, are centered and move upon pins 32, which are assembled and secured in supporting rails 33. These rails 33, serve to support the strlker or power pneumatics 23; They are groovedfrom' end to end as at 34, and the grooves register with one of the horizontal series of exhaust port openings 19. Ducts 35, (one of which is shown in Fig. 6) connect-the grooves 34, with the atmosphere at convenient points along the supporting rails 33. r

The rails 33 may be formed and bored as to their ducts 21, 22, grooves34, and ducts 35, and the valve pins 32, may be accurately placed therein. The striker or power pneumatic 23, may also be assembled on the rails with a minimum of inconvenience. When the whole structure is complete as a unit, it may be applied to the outer side of the wall 2, and secured thereto as by screws 36. W hen in place, the valve pins 32, will project centrally through theexhaust ports '19, and valve'chambers 18. 7

When the supporting rails 33, are in place with their striker pneumatics, the valves 29,

may be slipped on to the pins 32,;from the interior of the chest and the port plates 26, secured in place. Upon an applicationof the removable wall 3, with its contained primary pneumatics or pouches, themechanism is complete and ready to be connected up to the tracker board in any well known man-' ner.

parts, as described and shown, great'economy is effected in manufacture. The whole structure can be very much condensed in size as compared with other devices known to ap-' 'plicant. All the parts may be brought into and it is obvious that the whole mechanism contains desirable features of condensation, accessibility, and renewability.

As illustrated in the drawings, the movable boards 23, of the striker or powerpneumatics have extended fingers 37, the curved faces 38, of which bear upon adjustable abutments 39, which through the bars 40, are connected with the wippens 41, of a piano action. The operation ofjthe device is ob vious. The chest 1 being under suction or tension, acts through the bleed holes 13, to

normally equalize pressure on both sides of the diaphragm member "16, of the primary pneumatics. the suction acting upon the particular diaphragm causes it to move its valve 29, away from its seat on the plate 26, opening the suction port 25, and closing the exhaust port It willbe obvious that'by arranging the r When a tracker duct'is vented,

19. The valve chamber 18,"is' now submit ted to the tension of the chest. Through the conduits 20, 21, 22, the corresponding player or power pneumatic 23, is subjected'to the suction of the chest and collapses, actuating the wippen with which it is connected. As

soon as the tracker duct is closed, the valve 29, 1s re-seated,cover1ng the suction port 25',"

and the exhaustport: is opened to break the suction of the player pneumatic 23.-

Upon reference to Figs. 5 and 6, it willbe seen that the supporting rails 33, which are provided with the grooves 34, constitute mufflers. or muffler chambers extending throughout the length of the supporting rails 33 to muflie the sound caused by the air and the movement of the valvesiduring the operation of theplayer and thusreduces the noise to a minimum so that it'cannot be heard by the operator or the hearers. The openings in the supporting rails33, while admitting air to the grooves 3 1, have their outer ends covered by a piece of felt or the like, as seen in Fig. 6, so as to effectually prevent the escape of the noise, thus aiding in the mufiling. The thickness of the rails 33 necessitates the traveling of the noise for a material distance, during which time it would become mufiied even were the outer ends of the openings 35 not provided with the felt openings.

Obviously, the exact details of construction might be varied. The exact form of primary pneumatic and valve might be modified without departing from the spirit or intent of the invention which contemplates the complete assembly of the valve chambers and valves upon one interior wall of the suction or action chest, and with the complete assembly of the primary pneu matics upon an opposite wall thereof, and with one of said walls removable to give complete access to the parts combined, of course, with exteriorly arranged striker or power pneumatics.

What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters I atent is:

1. In an action for pneumatic musical instruments, a chamber having a back and a front board one of which is removable and forming therebetween a suction chamber, one of said boards having valve chambers therein, removable plates on said last-named board having ports affording communication between said valve chambers and the suction chamber, the other board having ducts, diaphragm pneumatics and their chambers formed independently of and located between said boards and communicating with said ducts, valves in said valve chambers, and fixed guide stems for said valves.

2. In an action for pneumatic musical instruments, a chamber having a back and a front board one of which is removable and forming therebetween a suction chamber, one of said boards having valve chambers therein, removable plates on said last-named board having ports aiiording communication between said valve chambers and the suction chamber, the other board having ducts, diaphragm pneumatics and their chambers formed independently of and located between said boards and communicating with said ducts, valves in said valve chambers, fixed guide stems for said valves, a power pneumatic for each valve chamber and a communication between each valve chamber and power pneumatic.

3. In an action for pneumatic musical instruments, a chamber having a back and a front board one of which is removable and forming therebetween a suction chamber, one of said boards having valve chambers therein, removable plates on said last-named board having ports affording communication between said valve chambers and the suction chamber, the other board having ducts, diaphragm pneumatics and their chambers formed independently of and located between said boards and communicating with said ducts, valves in said valve chambers, fixed guide stems for said valves, and mufiling chambers for said valves in communication with said valve chambers.

4:. In an action for pneumatic musical instruments, a chamber having a back and a front board one of which is removable and forming therebetween a suction chamber, one of said boards having valve chambers therein, removable plates on said last-named board having ports afi'ording communication between said valve chambers and the suction chamber, the other board having ducts, diaphragm pneumatics and their chambers formed independently of and located between said boards and communicating with said ducts, valves in said valve chambers, fixed guide stems for said valves, and a muiiling chamber for and in communication with a plurality of said valve chambers.

5. In an action for pneumatic musical instruments, a chamber having a back and a front board one of which is removable and forming therebetween a suction chamber, one of said boards having valve chambers therein, removable lates on said last-named board having ports affording communication between said valve chambers and the suction chamber, the other board having ducts, diaphragm pneumatics and their chambers formed independently of and located between said boards and communicating with said ducts, valves in said valve chambers, fixed guide stems for said valves, said diaphragm pneumatics being carried by the removable board.

6. In an action for pneumaticmusical instruments, a chamber having a back and a front board one of which is removable and forming therebetween a suction chamber, one of said boards having valve chambers therein, removable plates on said last-named board having ports affording communication between said valve chambers and the suction chamber, the other board having ducts, a member independent of said boards and having a diaphragm chamber and a diaphragm carried thereby, said member being secured to said removable. board, said diaphragm communicating with one of said ducts, valves in said'valve chambers, and guide stems vfor said valves.

r -7. In an action for pneumatic musical inbetween said valve chambers and thesuction chamber, the other board having ducts, members independent of said boards and having diaphragm -chambers and! diaphragms carried thereby, said members ber ing secured to said removable board, said dlaphragms communicating with said ducts, valves in sald valve chambers, and guide stems for said valves.

If GEORGE P. BRAND.

V Witnesses: V

E. W. BOND, M. A. -BOND. 

